If you’re thinking of installing a new pool at your property in France, make sure you read this advice from Julia French before you take the plunge
So you have decided to take the plunge and have a pool installed, but where do you start? Your process may begin by typing ‘swimming pools’ into your search engine, revealing a gallery of gorgeous examples, but after this you might draw a blank. How do you know the right questions to ask?
WHICH POOL TYPE?
There are many different types of pool installation, however, they can be broadly divided into two main groups: prefabricated units delivered ready made to the site, and those constructed in-situ.
The prefabricated pool is a shell (a coque), which is a moulded unit made of fibreglass or acrylic. On the plus side, this type of pool is quick to install and is about 20% cheaper than its in-situ counterpart. The downsides are that they have a width limit of 4m due to transportation and also they shouldn’t be installed in clay areas. This type of soil shrinks and swells in dry and wet ground conditions, which can cause cracks and movement, damaging the pool.
However, all building work must come with a 10-year garantie décennale, which will be provided by your pool installer. They have to be confident that you have the right soil conditions for your pool, or they run the risk of their décennale being liable for claims. If you choose to have a prefabricated pool and it is supply only, it’s best to make sure that the décennale is covered for the whole of the installation, not just the supply of the pool.
A reinforced concrete pool can be built in any soil conditions – even clay. It is a self-supporting structure that does not require any shoring up from the surrounding ground. Usually, the pool is installed fully in-ground, but if needed it can be built on a slope, with a dug-out flat footing – otherwise there won’t be very much water left in the pool!
This type can be constructed using concrete blockwork, concrete-filled polybloc or concrete-filled polypropylene shuttered panels, all with reinforcement bars throughout. This is the strongest type of pool structure. In most cases, these pools will have a liner rail fitted on the top of the pool wall (underneath the margelle or edging), and a liner fitted. A concrete blockwork pool has a render that is finished with either tiles or sprayed quartz/aggregate. This is a more labour-intensive and costly option than using a liner. In certain areas of France, you may have difficulty finding a company to install a tiled or r
